Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Pop star Rina Sawayama 'not British enough' to enter UK music awards

Pop star Rina Sawayama 'not British enough' to enter UK music awards

British-Japanese pop star Rina Sawayama says she was "heartbroken" to find she is ineligible for The Brit Awards and The Mercury Prize.

The singer has lived in the UK for 25 years, after her family moved from Japan, and considers herself British.

Although she had indefinite leave to remain, she does not hold a British passport, ruling her out of the country's biggest music prizes.

The singer told Vice she found it "othering" to be denied entry.

"It was so heartbreaking," Sawayama said. "I rarely get upset to the level where I cry. And I cried."

"All I remember is living here," she continued. "I've just lived here all my life. I went to summer school in Japan, and that's literally it. But I feel like I've contributed to the UK in a way that I think is worthy of being celebrated, or at least being eligible to be celebrated."

"I've lived here 25 years," she added on Twitter, "but I am not British enough to even be eligible for the 2 biggest UK music awards".

The hashtag #SawayamaIsBritish trended in the UK shortly after her interview with Vice was published.



Under competition rules, solo artists must have a British or Irish passport to enter the Mercury Prize. For bands, only 30% of the members need to be officially British or Irish, as long as more than half of them live in the UK.

The system meant that, in 2005, New York-based singer Antony and the Johnsons (who now performs under the name Anohni) was able to win the award, despite having been resident in New York for 22 years, as they held a British passport.

Sawayama, however, has retained her Japanese passport in order to feel close to family members, including her father, who live in her country of birth. Japan does not allow dual citizenship.


'Border control around eligibility'

"If arts awards are creating their own sort of version of border control around their eligibility, I think that's really problematic," she said.

"If I was snubbed, I would be like, 'Well, OK, fine… Let's just make a better record and move on'."

"But the fact that I wasn't even eligible is like… I don't even know what that emotion was. It was othering."

Fellow London recording artist MNEK tweeted his support saying the star's self-titled debut album is "deserving of all the accolades".


Sawayama has previously benefitted from funding from the BPI Music Export Growth Scheme, a grant that supports and celebrates British musicians, and her album is littered with references about growing up in London.

The record, which skilfully blends millennial pop and R&B with elements of nu-metal, is one of the best-reviewed new releases of the year, with an average score of 89% on the review aggregation site Metacritic.

Many publications, including the BBC and the Guardian, noted it had been overlooked when the Mercury nominations came out last week.

A spokesperson for the BPI, which organises UK music's two biggest awards nights, confirmed to the BBC: "Both The Brit Awards and the Hyundai Mercury Prize aim to be as inclusive as possible within their parameters, and their processes and eligibility criteria are constantly reviewed."

Other music awards take a more relaxed view, and non-British citizens can be eligible for a Ivor Novello award, if they can prove they have lived in the UK for the past year.

Sawayama concluded that "it's up to the award bodies to decide what Britishness really encompasses - the very things that they celebrate, which is diversity and opportunity."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×